John Caldigate eBook

Then a cloud of witnesses were brought up for the
defence, each of whom, however, was soon despatched.
The two clerks from the post-office gave exactly the
evidence which Sir John had described, and exposed
to the jury their packet of old letters. In their
opinion the impression on the envelope was finer and
cleaner than that generally produced in the course
of business. Each of them thought it not improbable
that the impression had been surreptitiously obtained.
But each of them acknowledged, on cross-examination,
that a stamp so clean and perfect might be given and
maintained without special care; and each of them
said that it was quite possible that a letter passing
through the post-office might escape the stamp of
one of the offices in which it would be manipulated.

Then there came the witnesses as to character, and
evidence was given as to Hester’s determination
to remain with the man whom she believed to be her
husband. As to this there was no cross-examination.
That Caldigate’s life had been useful and salutary
since his return to Folking no one doubted,—­nor
that he had been a loving husband. If he had committed
bigamy, it was, no doubt, for the public welfare that
such a crime should be exposed and punished.
But that he should have been a bigamist, would be
a pity,—­oh, such a pity! The pity of
it; oh, the pity of it! For now there had been
much talk of Hester and her home at Folking, and her
former home at Chesterton; and people everywhere concerned
themselves for her peace, for her happiness, for her
condition of life.

Chapter XLIII

The Last Day

After Sir John Joram’s speech, and when the
work of the second day had been brought to a close,
Caldigate allowed his hopes to rise higher than they
had ever mounted since he had first become aware that
the accusation would in truth be brought against him.
It seemed to be almost impossible that any jury should
give a verdict in opposition to arguments so convincing
as those Sir John had used. All those details
which had appeared to himself to be so damning to his
own cause now melted away, and seemed to be of no
avail. And even Mr. Seely, when he came to see
his client in the evening, was less oppressive than
usual. He did not, indeed, venture to express
hope, but in his hopelessness he was somewhat more
hopeful than before. ’You must remember,
Mr. Caldigate,’ he said, ’that you have
not yet heard the judge, and that with such a jury
the Judge will go much further than any advocate.
I never knew a Cambridgeshire jury refuse to be led
by Judge Bramber.’